Kole Tang Diagnosis

[Bronx19]

Hi team, could I get some opinions on what is ailing my Kole please.

 

[deedubz]

Do you have a qt? If not, you're going to want to set one up. To me that looks like a bacterial infection on the tail. There also appears to be white spots on the body.

How long have you had the fish? Are there any notable symptoms... Flashing/scratching/twitching/etc?

 

[Bronx19]

Do you have a qt? If not, you're going to want to set one up. To me that looks like a bacterial infection on the tail. There also appears to be white spots on the body.

How long have you had the fish? Are there any notable symptoms... Flashing/scratching/twitching/etc?

I do not have a QT, my only option if treating is to dose my tank. Treatment will have to be reef safe. I've had the fish for two weeks now. It isn't going backwards fast, eats all day, but is definitely getting worse. The fish is twitching near the glass and is a little more reclusive today. It has a few marks on its head, but the white spots are just particulate in the water.

I can readily get Mela and Pima if that is a correct course?

 

[Bronx19]

Change that, I just realized I have a couple of 60L drums I can use as a QT. So thats one issue solved.

 

[deedubz]

I have no experience with either.

Other than prazipro for flukes/internal parasites, there isn't any effective reef safe meds. I'm bout no means an expert, but at best it looks like a bacterial infection.

Missed the part where you mentioned that was particles in the water. Disregard the other stuff

 

[deedubz]

Apparently fake news

 

[4FordFamily]

I see the tail infection but cannot tell if I see definitive ich or velvet.

I’d start by treating the fish’s tail infection. An acriflavine bath followed by treatment in a quarantine with the trifecta of antibiotics — furan 3, metroplex, and kanaplex would take care of that.

If velvet took over (the fish had lots of spots increasing day to day) then you can dose copper power in conjunction with these meds but you’ll need a bubbler and powerhead aimed at surface as a bacterial bloom is likely at first. Large water changes and re-dosing may be required if you mix meds. So, I’d start with antibiotics for 12-14 days before treating for ich or velvet unless symptoms get bad.

 

[melypr1985]

I agree with the bacterial infection on the tail. I also don't see any real signs of ich or velvet. I also suggest setting up a QT for antibiotics. If there just isn't any way to do that, then you can try feeding antibiotics in his food in combination with Focus which will bind the med to the food and make it reef safe. It's not as effective that way, but it's better than nothing.

 

[Big G]

You mentioned that the fish was "twitching near the glass." I'd do a freshwater dip to rule out flukes as perhaps the cause of the infection on the tail.
Here's Meredith's wonderful video on how to do it the right way: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/video-how-to-do-a-freshwater-dip.286639/#post-3487082

Use a dark colored bucket as this will aid you in looking for the sesame seed sized, whitish dead flukes.

 

[Bronx19]

Thanks for the responses. From what I've read, if it were velvet things would have gone down hill rapidly. Given its only gotten slightly worse over a two week period, I think I will treat for bacterial first.

 

[Bronx19]

I forgot to update this. I treated the fish in a bucket via TTM using anti fungal med and formalin. Fish made a full recovery and is still with me 3 years on.